For smooth and secure movement of goods, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has started a programme called Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) developed by the World Customs Organisation.

According to custom officials, the trade supply chain had become extremely

complicated and vulnerable to external threats, leading to the need for a system that ensured end-to-end supply chain security while ensuring faster release of goods.The operators registered with AEO programme will be given preference and their goods will be released quickly.

Under the AEO programme, approved economic operators are given preferential treatment in terms of faster clearance and less physical inspections along with other benefits subject to their conformance with prescribed security standards and compliance with tax laws, said SK Goel, chairman of CBEC. The pilot project, which started in August 2011, has identified three entities which have been found compliant for the grant of AEO certification. These are IBM, LG Electronics and Ennore container terminal.

Apart from this, the custom department has also launched a website, which can be accessed by anyone to find out the tariff of goods.

We have developed an interactive customs tariff application. The purpose of the application is to enhance public access to information on duty payment and other regulatory requirements for clearance of goods, when imported in India. The application is designed to show various customs and other application duties. It helps importers calculate the actual effective duty applicable by taking into account various exemption notifications, Goel said.

The department will be making efforts to constantly address issues, which may arise while using this website, in order to improve user experience, he added.